UK Machinery of Government: Establishment of a National Security Council

Establishment of a National Security Council
May 12, 2010

One of the lesser-reported activities of the new Government in the United Kingdom this wednesday was the formation of a National Security Council (NSC).

This would seem to replace the DOPC or MISC Cabinet Committee on Defence and Overseas Policy which morphed in July 2009 into the NSID (OD) Committee (or Ministerial Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development, Sub-Committee on Overseas and Defence.)

NSID (OD) had the following composition (5);
* Prime Minister (Chair)
* Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (alternate Chair)
* Chancellor of the Exchequer
* Secretary of State for International Development
* Secretary of State for Defence

Other Ministers, the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Chairman of Joint Intelligence Committee and the Heads of the Intelligence Agencies may be invited to attend as required.

NSC has the following composition (8);
* Prime Minister (Chair)
* Deputy Prime Minister
* Chancellor of the Exchequer
* Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
* Home Secretary
* Secretary of State for Defence
* Secretary of State for International Development
* Security Minister.

Other Cabinet Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, will attend as required. The Chief of the Defence Staff, Heads of Intelligence Agencies and other Senior Officials will also attend as required.

The NSC appears an effort to better integrate foreign policy and homeland security into a one-stop Cabinet Committee at the price of near doubling the standing representation - risking a slower reaction in a crisis situation.

Establishment of a National Security Council
May 12, 2010

The Prime Minister is to establish a National Security Council (NSC), which will oversee all aspects of Britain’s security.

The Prime Minister has appointed Sir Peter Ricketts (Permanent Undersecretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) as his National Security Adviser, a new role based in the Cabinet Office. Sir Peter will establish the new National Security Council structures, and coordinate and deliver the Government’s international security agenda.

The Council will coordinate responses to the dangers we face, integrating at the highest level the work of the foreign, defence, home, energy and international development departments, and all other arms of government contributing to national security.

The Council will be chaired by the Prime Minister. Permanent members will be the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Secretary of State for International Development and the Security Minister.

Other Cabinet Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, will attend as required. The Chief of the Defence Staff, Heads of Intelligence Agencies and other Senior Officials will also attend as required.

The inaugural meeting of the NSC will be chaired by the Prime Minister this afternoon. The Council will discuss the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and review the terrorist threat to the UK.